So What Did I See on May 13, 1968?
I don’t think I’ve ever written in any detail the story of May 13, 1968 at the Art Institute in Chicago, the day I realized I was an artist. May 13, 1968 was a Monday, and I rode a bus … Continue reading →
Michael D. Smith
A Writing Biography, Part VI: Failures, Successes, Rhythms and Swerves, 1983-1994
I’m struck by the veering between successes and failures in this period, losing control and skidding across all four lanes until I’d finally get enough sense to stop the car and take a good look around. Had I never learned … Continue reading →
Final 2023 Greatest Hits Drawings
A final batch of the best 2023 drawings. Most are in the 8″ x 8″ journal; this size has helped redefine the art journal for me. The redefinition is basically to think of each page as abstract art, as a … Continue reading →
Supreme Commander Laurie: Manuscript Status and Spaceships
Sometimes this novel still feels like a rough draft, sometimes a finished work close to publication. But I finally decided that Draft 2 is done and that I’m working on successive edits of a final manuscript of Supreme Commander Laurie. … Continue reading →
The Fools of Supreme Commander Laurie’s Fire
During Draft Two edits I’ve been struck by how nobody wants to pin a solid name on the central anomaly of the universe as posited in the final Jack Commer book, Balloon Ship Armageddon: The n-dimensional sphere represents contradictory and … Continue reading →
Supreme Commander Laurie: Draft Two Territory
Supreme Commander Laurie Draft Two, still in progress, is already 27 pages and 7,858 words lighter. Overall the energy’s high and the story arc’s where I want it; I don’t see holes, extraneous junk, or need for major architectural work. … Continue reading →
Supreme Commander Laurie, Draft 1: Completed
Rough Draft Synopsis of a Rough Draft Colonel Laurie Lachrer, just appointed Supreme Commander of the USSF, inexplicably transports to the new Typhoon VIII spaceship where former SCUSSF Jack Commer leads a no-return mission to the Unknown Anomaly at the … Continue reading →
More New Drawings
A few more recent 2023 drawings. Most are in an 8″ x 8″ journal; the size has encouraged experimentation. all images copyright 2023 by Michael D. Smith
Continue reading →The Characters Table
For a while I’ve been compiling a list of similar characters in my fiction; for instance, why is Michelle Morgan, graduate student, philosopher, and Sunday supplement author in Akard Drearstone, so much like Moolka Waxtor, writer in residence and secret … Continue reading →
What If?
Aren’t most novels inspired by a central What If? Investigating the original What If of my novels or long stories has required a lot of thought. It’s possible that some really never began with a real What If. But I … Continue reading →